Interview with Patricia Kafoglis, July 24, 2000

Partial Transcript: Okay good. Well, um, maybe we could just start off by your telling me a little bit of background on yourself, just, just a very, very brief sort of biographical sketch.

Segment Synopsis: Pat Kafoglis talks about her early life, education, and family life. She talks about her husband and their respective professional careers. She talks about her political activities to achieve ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Keywords: Beaver College; Biological Abstracts; Equal Rights Amendment; Women's Political Caucus

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Okay, um, now, let me just check this out with you, were you on the Council on Higher Education?

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis talks about the uncertainty behind the selection process for membership on the Prichard Committee. She talks about her own professional career and qualifications prior to her appointment to the Prichard Committee.

Keywords: Council on Higher Education; Equal Rights Amendment (ERA); Human Rights Commission

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Well, that's one thing that peo--has come up, y, you're the fourth person I've interviewed, but that's come up over and over--is like, people's impressions of those early meetings.

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis talks about Ed Prichard and the early meetings of the committee. She talks about the other members of the committee and how they worked well together for a common purpose. She talks about the women who served on the committee and the role of gender within that context.

Keywords: Bob Sexton; Council on Higher Education; Edward Prichard, Jr.

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Are there any particular things that stand out, other than what you've already said, about the actual experience of working with this committee, as it was originally formed...

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis reviews a list of the original 30 committee members and has difficulty recalling some of the people. She talks about the relatively few women among the original members.

Keywords: Dorothy Ridings; Joe Graves; Sarah Page; Tommy Gaston

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: So I want to, I want to think about how much of an influence people like you and Lois and others, not just women, but people who had children in K through 12...

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis talks about the transition of the committee's mission from official select committee on higher education to non-profit group for primary and secondary education reform. She discusses Bob Sexton's leadership and the death of Ed Prichard.

Keywords: Bob Sexton; Ed Prichard, Jr.

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Well, in a kind of nuts and bolts way, how did you all organize those things? I mean how--like for instance, how did you work with others here in Bowling Green?

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis talks about community forums on education that were organized by Bob Sexton. She talks about the composition of the forums and the climate for reform. She talks about the relationship between the Prichard Committee and the legislature.

Keywords: Bob Sexton; Community forums; Grass roots reform; Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA)

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: And so then how would you say that Prichard--uh, work with the Prichard Committee, sort of propelled you into more service in terms of educational reform?

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis compares her experiences working with the Council on Higher Education with her work on the Prichard Committee. She says Council work was more political and bureaucratic and not as enjoyable. She talks about leadership on the committee.

Keywords: Bert Combs; Bob Sexton; Bowling Alone; Council on Higher Education; Council on Post Secondary Education; Edward Prichard, Jr.; Martha Layne Collins

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Did it change very much when Dot took over the chair?

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis talks about the continuity of leadership of the committee after the death of Ed Prichard. She cites school reform as the most important accomplishment of the committee. She says the committee wanted to avoid appearing as elitist.

Keywords: Community forums; Dorothy Ridings; Educational reform

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Well, that's another question that I have that has to do with like, now looking at it from, you know twenty years' vantage point really, what would you say are the challenges that remain?

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis talks about the future of education in Kentucky including the need to reform teacher education and certification. She talks about her retirement from active membership with the committee.

Keywords: Council on Higher Education; Sarah Page; Teacher certification; Teacher education

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence

Partial Transcript: Is there anything that I haven't asked you about anything to do with the Prichard Committee, your service on it, or educational reform in Kentucky in general, that I haven't asked you that you think I should have on this tape?

Segment Synopsis: Kafoglis says she is better able to discuss her feelings about issues rather than specific events. She speaks of trust and confidence among members on the committee. She talks about gender balance on the committee.

Keywords: Equal Rights Amendment (ERA); Gender perspective; Pink Ladies

Subjects: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence